Back up time to before the several parties left the town and focus back to our trio.

The trio just passed the mana ants and took the left path.

Thankfully the system took pity on gem and used space displacement system to speed up their travels and avoid confrontation.

Why not use other more efficient or lazy methods such as teleportation?

In the systems words...[then the water elemental now you're not lying.]

Yes... Instead of using the more obvious methods to do faster travel. The system deliberately chose space displacement to move space in small intervals in hidden places where the water elemental cannot see or notice any difference. But is large enough to speed up their travels.

This really annoyed gem, but figuring that there is no way of revealing it. The gem decided to be quiet about it.

So gem let the system do its own thing and scout around and scan for everything. Not even ants escape the scope of the system.

...

[Take the right side of the forked path and we should be at the Flight lake in about half an hour.]

"..."

'Gem repeating just in case you forget. Take the right path to reach flight lake.'

"Yeah I know, hasn't been the first time I came here."

"..."

This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.

'Let gem guess... Your parents took you here.'

"You guessed it, although we didn't go deep inside the mana forest. We did get to visit flight lake."

"..."

'gem suspects your parents spoiled you.'

[Ditto, but that's a good thing isn't it.]

"They sure did, although there were some rough times. They're always teaching me things to know when I get older. And now look at me, an experienced melee fighter going on adventures with the carefree attitude. I might not be the best or the most prepared, but the underdog has its own ways of surviving in this world."

[True, she really is very weak compared to some mages and melee fighters. Only her water elemental advantage of being fast in a body of water seems to help her.]

"..."

'...so you're useless.'

"I am not useless!"

"..."

'Only the useless would say that.'

"No they don't! You don't know how hard it It is to reach my point in strength! A lot of people never reach my level at all."

"..."

'And there must be a lot of people above you as well. By the way what is your level?'

"I-ugh...nevermind. I told you what my level was, remember I said it right after my name? my level is level 8."

"..."

'...'

Oh my.

[...]

"What?"

"..."

'...level...8?'

[Sigh...]

"Yeah, so what?"

"..."

'... Gem new you were useless... But not useless to that extent.'

[Basically only useful for carrying you to where you need to go...]

"Do you think I want to stay at such a low level?"

"..."

'...yes?'

"NO OBVIOUSLY!"

"But there is nothing I can do about it, My experience has been stuck before level 9 since I was a child."

"..."

'then why don't you get more experience?'

"... Sigh... It's not that easy."

"..."

'how so?'

"Well for one, every elemental has a level limit. Level limit is determined by your mental capacity and toughness."

"Mental capacity can be increased with age or taking certain medicines. But most elementals never need to do this, our mental capacity increases faster than our level."

"Toughness is the total score of resilience in your mana circuits and physical body. Most elementals choose light exercise and take everything that can increase your mana circuits. The physical fitness of your body affects a quarter of your toughness, whereas the mana circuits affect you tremendously for the rest of the three quarters in toughness."

"..."

'So what is your problem?' Your mana circuits?'

"Yeah, my level limit is so low because of my mana circuits."

[Hmm...that is indeed a problem to have.]